Ink to paper: RRHS holds Spring Signing Day

RIO RANCHO — A crowd the Rio Rancho High School gymnasium cheered on 11 Ram students who will be playing collegiately in the fall.

Amongst the 11 students were Abigail Beam, cross-country and track, New Mexico State University; Charlie Vause, cross-country and trach, BYU; Cody Sullivan, cross-country and track, Fort Lewis University; Mateo Herrera, cross-country and track, Colorado College at Colorado Springs; Lauryn Machuzak, soccer, Bethany College; Mateo Dean, soccer, Arlington Baptist University; Aubrey Pino, track and field, Western New Mexico University; Noah Serna, baseball, New Mexico Military Institute); Jackson Roybal, baseball, Scottsdale Community College; Adan Bustos, baseball, Eastern New Mexico University); and Alvivia Henderson, softball, Minnesota State University Moorhead.

“I just kept getting better and better, and people [colleges] started reaching out ... it’s a dream come true,” Sullivan said at the April 16 ceremony.

A couple of notable things from this batch of superb high school athletes is the four runners who have helped the RRHS cross-country and track and field programs accomplish so much, including the boys cross-country state championships and a runner-up finish for the girls this past season.

For the girls, Beam was always the leader of the pack and always competed with teammate Mariah Galbraith, a freshman.

“Winning state, at cross-country and track last year, with my girls were probably some of the happiest moments of my life,” Beam said.

On the boys side, the trio of Vause, Sullivan and Herrera was a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.

“We would always just stick together for most of the race then battle it out in the end,” Herrera said.

Vause was the Gatorade National XC Player of the Year and won a national XC title in Portland, Oregon.

“From the academic side, shout out to Mr. Smith. He’s my government, ‘econ’ and history teacher,” Vause said. “All my coaches, Coach [Philip] Keller, Coach ‘Vics’ [Victoria Collins] and Coach Zack [Chenowith], they are all there for me ... Coach Keller has really been so invested in me and invested in before I even invested and believed in myself.”

However, let’s not forget about the trio of talented baseball players who helped RRHS baseball to a number-two ranking in the state. Serna, Roybal and Bustos have been foundational players for RRHS for years.

RRHS soccer was also represented with perennial leader and strong center back Aubrey Pino taking her talents to Silver City. However, in college, Pino will solely focus on track and field.

“They have a great program, they have an amazing coach and an amazing campus. so, I am really excited to go out there,” Pino said.

Senior defender Lauryn Machuzak has had a long road from a season-ending injury she suffered a year ago. Because of the injury, Machuzak missed the entire season (besides playing on the Senior Night kickoff).

“Coach [Nate] Pino has always been there for me, and of course, my family and high school coaches. They all helped me along the journey,” Machuzak said.